Global Scans · UK · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Achieving Brexit will dominate the UK's agenda up to and beyond 2020 with uncertainty rife until clear decisions are made on the form of Great Britain's future relationship with the EU and the rest of the world.

• [New] If the UK fails to build domestic strengths in the AI value chain, even the high-productivity sectors will see profits flow overseas, leaving the UK as a net importer of AI services and exporter of lower value labour. GOV.UK
• [New] The opportunity for UK businesses to benefit from AI deployment is substantial, and AI-enabled gains are expected to become the main source of the UK's continued productivity growth. GOV.UK
• [New] A bridge AI scheme will give British companies funds to buy UK-developed AI products, while there will also be an expansion of the UK's tech town programme which has been pioneered by Barnsley. The Guardian
• [New] UK growth is set to take a hit due to trade disruption while inflation could race past 6% in the worst case scenario. City AM
• [New] The HSE should be allowed to fast-track chemical hazard classifications from other countries into British law. The Guardian
• [New] Fighting Dirty claims proposals to change the classification and labelling of potentially hazardous chemicals could result in the UK weakening standards on cancer-causing substances. The Guardian
• [New] There are steps that the UK government could be taking now - from banning the use of social media for children and using Ofcom's powers to force social media firms to act. The Guardian
• [New] Academics used machine learning to analyse blood samples from more than 48,000 people in the UK, helping them to identify 14 proteins in the blood that appear to predict a future diagnosis of lung cancer. Positive News
• [New] The UK has the potential to store 78 gigatons of CO2, equal to about a quarter of Europe's total storage potential. Insurance Journal
• [New] The UK is well placed to capitalize on the opportunity thanks to the CO2 transport infrastructure being developed, including on Teesside, and the favorable geology of the East Irish Sea and the North Sea. Insurance Journal
• [New] The UK has created the Fair Work Agency, a state enforcement body which has taken over national minimum wage enforcement and will also be able to enforce payment of certain statutory payments to workers, including holiday pay and sick pay. Lewis Silkin
• [New] OpenAI has begun rolling out ChatGPT advertising in the UK while outlining how ad targeting will operate under European privacy requirements. MarketingProfs
• [New] A prototype reactor that works as a 'mini-Sun' is being developed in Nottinghamshire as UK hopes to lead world in nuclear fusion power. Electricity Info
• [New] While some countries like Canada and the United Kingdom have begun developing advanced reactor regulatory frameworks that could accommodate MSRs, most nations lack specific policies addressing molten salt technologies. PatSnap Eureka
• [New] Britain wants to project military power from Eastern Europe to the Middle East, lead NATO initiatives in the Arctic, support Ukraine indefinitely, and modernize its armed forces, all while carrying massive debt burdens and facing weak economic growth. Armstrong Economics
• [New] The proposed spending plan would only raise defence spending to roughly 2.68% of GDP by 2030, well below what military planners believe is necessary given the commitments Britain has made around the world. Armstrong Economics
• [New] BYD plans to install 300 FLASH Charging units at Denza stores and other UK locations by the end of 2026. Automotive World
• [New] The UK regulator's first external horizon scan sets out how AI, synthetic crime and programmable finance could reshape financial services by 2030. Finance Magnates
• [New] The latest Economic Forecast from the Confederation of British Industry has revised down its expectations for UK growth, warning that geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and higher energy costs are set to weigh on households and businesses through 2027. CBI
• [New] The Bank of England now expects inflation to rise again in the second half of 2026 as energy price effects broaden. Capitalise
• [New] Realising that potential requires reducing the cost burden on firms, rewarding productive risk-taking, and positioning UK businesses to capture the opportunities that will drive future economic gain. British Chambers of Commerce
• The UK mobile AR retail application segment is projected to be valued at $29,335.5 million by 2035, while the healthcare AR segment in the UK was already valued at $788.41 million in 2025, reflecting diversified AR demand across UK verticals. www.limelightdigital.co.uk
• The UK will fall into recession towards the end of the year as energy costs soar. The Council of Industry

Last updated: 16 June 2026